The transfer of the rural labour force to off-farm employment is not only a crucial , social and economic problem , but also an important , scientific research issue , particularly from the perspective of policymaking. Based on historical insights from around the world , rural labour transfer is an inevitable social phenomenon that has to be resolved in time. A country, irrespective of whether it is developed or developing , whether its social system is based on a capitalist market economy or a socialist planned economy , has to accept the chal1enge sooner or later. Generally speaking , developed countries have already experienced the transfer of their rural , surplus labour force into industries and tertiary sectors through the movement of their rural population into cities. Unfortunately , developing countries are still faced with the problem. The authorities and scientists in developing countries are questioning whether to follow the pattern followed by the developed countries and thereby create more employment opportunities for the rural jobless. Their concerns may be expressed in the form of several questions: (a) how can the rural labour force be transferred in order to support industrial development and direct it towards economic development? (b) what are the conditions that have to be fulfilled in order to progress from an agricultural society to an industrial society? (c) how can the stability of a country or a region be assured and public confidence be maintained? and (d) what are the ways of alleviating population pressure on the environment? The research on rural labour force transition is of great significance. For this , it is necessary to understand the historical process before scientific decisions of practical value can be made.
China is a developing country. Serious though they are , the sluggish market , regional trade barrier.s, and the increasing debt of enterprises are comparatively as serious as the mounting employment pressure. Rural employment is of serious concern in China. The lmportant issue is how to absorb the successful experiences from developed and developing countries , streamline these with the prevailing circumstances in China , and transform the rurallabour force from a social burden into a powerful resource for development. It should be remembered that there are no ready-made measures that can be copied by China in order to bring about full and productive employment of the rural labour  force. We hope that our research can produce some useful findings to help the country tackle the problem.